CSU Hydraulics Laboratory

What CSU Hydraulics Laboratory does

CSU Hydraulics Laboratory is a university research facility operated by Colorado State University's Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering at the Foothills Research Campus in Fort Collins, Colorado. Established in 1962, the laboratory provides physical hydraulic modeling, erosion control performance testing, and computational fluid dynamics services to government agencies, engineering consulting firms, and private manufacturers. Its infrastructure includes 45,000 square feet of indoor laboratory space, nearly 30 acres of adjacent outdoor testing area, and 10,000 square feet of greenhouse space for vegetation-based testing, with sustained water access from Horsetooth Reservoir supporting flow rates up to 200 cfs.

The lab's technical capabilities center on scaled physical model construction and testing of dams, spillways, stilling basins, sediment transport systems, and recreational whitewater features, complemented by 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D numerical modeling using HEC-RAS, SRH-2D, and Flow 3D software. High-resolution instrumentation (particle image velocimetry, acoustic Doppler velocimeters and profilers, laser-based surface profiling) supports detailed flow measurement. Research is organized into four areas: ecohydraulics, sediment transport and river mechanics, environmental fluid mechanics, and hydraulics of ice-affected rivers, with the erosion control testing program carrying over 50 years of industry leadership and ASTM-aligned protocols.

Revenue is generated through contract research and project-based testing services billed on a quote basis under multi-year contracts. Primary customers include the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Water, AECOM, WSP, and erosion control product manufacturers such as SolMax and ShoreFlex. As a state university entity, the laboratory is owned by the State of Colorado and operates under institutional governance rather than as an independent commercial enterprise.

Name

CSU Hydraulics Laboratory

Legal name

Colorado State University Hydraulics Laboratory

Website

https://hydraulicslab.engr.colostate.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CSU Hydraulics Laboratory provides physical hydraulic modeling, erosion control performance testing, and computational fluid dynamics services to government agencies, engineering firms, and manufacturers from its Fort Collins, Colorado facility, leveraging unique high-volume water access from Horsetooth Reservoir and over 60 years of research data.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hydraulic Engineering Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hydraulic Modeling & System Optimization (Calibration, Minimum Night Flow, Demand Analysis) (EUANAKAM), Laboratory Testing & Analytical Services (in-house/contract labs; microbiology, metals, organics) (EUANAJAB)

Keywords

• Hydraulic engineering services
• Physical model testing
• Erosion control testing
• Computational fluid dynamics
• Dam spillway modeling

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Collins

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Contract Research and Testing Services: The laboratory generates revenue through contracted hydraulic modeling studies and testing services for government agencies, engineering firms, and private companies. Projects include dam spillway testing, erosion control product testing, sediment transport studies, and custom hydraulic modeling.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CSU Hydraulics Laboratory is a university research facility that provides contracted hydraulic engineering testing and modeling services, including construction and testing of scaled physical hydraulic models for dams, spillways, and rivers, performance testing of erosion control products, and 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D numerical modeling using HEC-RAS, SRH-2D, and Flow 3D. Services are delivered through 45,000 square feet of indoor laboratories, nearly 30 acres of outdoor testing space, and 10,000 square feet of greenhouse space, with sustained flow rates up to 200 cfs from the adjacent Horsetooth Reservoir.

Product overview

CSU Hydraulics Laboratory is a research facility offering a unified suite of hydraulic engineering services organized around four core offerings: Physical Model Studies (construction and testing of scaled hydraulic models), Erosion Control Performance Testing (testing of erosion control products under various conditions), Numerical Modeling (1-D, 2-D, and 3-D computational hydraulic analysis), and Additional Hydraulic Services (specialized testing such as pump/turbine testing and product safety testing). The laboratory is part of CSU's Engineering Research Center at the Foothills Research Campus with access to Horsetooth Reservoir for large sustained flow rates. Supporting research areas include Ecohydraulics, Sediment Transport and River Mechanics, Environmental Fluid Mechanics, and Hydraulics of Ice-affected Rivers. The facility provides comprehensive support through shop and construction services for model fabrication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eco-Energy-Environmental (E3) Flow Physics Lab: Research lab under Dr. Chien-Yung Tseng focusing on complex, nonlinear physical mechanisms for efficient engineering designs under various flow scenarios.

Products and services

• Physical Model Studies Construction and testing of scaled physical hydraulic models for dams, spillways, sediment transport studies, recreational whitewater features, river diversions, and other hydraulic structures. Offered to government agencies, engineering firms, and private companies using over 20,000 square feet of covered laboratory space and outdoor flumes with flow rates up to 200 cfs.
• Erosion Control Performance Testing Performance testing of vegetated and unvegetated erosion control products under channelized, overtopping, and pipe outlet conditions. Covers articulated concrete blocks (ACBs), rock gabion mattresses, rolled erosion control products (RECPs), and vegetated systems per ASTM-D6460. Used by manufacturers to establish marketable velocity and shear stress specifications.
• Numerical Modeling 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D numerical hydraulic modeling services using HEC-RAS, SRH-2D, and Flow 3D software to provide visual representation of results and parameters difficult to collect in physical models. Delivered to government agencies, engineering firms, and private companies.
• Additional Hydraulic Services Specialized hydraulic testing including product safety testing, feasibility studies, pump and turbine testing, diver application of pier scour protection, riverine and aquifer power generation, and sediment sampler efficiency testing.
• Ecohydraulics Research Research on interactions between flow dynamics, sediment transport, and aquatic and riparian ecosystems, including fish passage, vegetation-flow feedbacks, large wood dynamics, and floodplain restoration.
• Sediment Transport and River Mechanics Research
• Hydraulics of Ice-affected Rivers Research
• Environmental Fluid Mechanics Research
• Shop and Construction Services

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• AECOMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership on multiple hydraulic modeling projects including Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion ($900M California dam project), Garrison Dam Lower Chute testing, and Halligan Dam Enlargement. AECOM serves as the primary engineering design partner working with CSU on physical model construction and testing.
• Denver WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Gross Reservoir spillway design testing. CSU created scale hydraulic model to verify and measure air concentration and pressures along the spillway and refine stilling basin design for the dam raise project that will add 77,000 acre-feet of storage.
• US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple collaborations on dam safety and spillway projects including Garrison Dam and Whittier Narrows Dam. USACE provides project specifications and design parameters while CSU conducts physical modeling and testing to validate and optimize designs.
• Mile High Flood DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for storm drain inlet grate safety testing project. The flood district sought to redevelop design criteria for storm drain inlet gates, with CSU conducting flume tests and CFD modeling to evaluate human escape potential.
• SolMax GeosyntheticsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerErosion control product testing partnership for PYRAMATTRESS system. CSU performed hydraulic testing to establish velocity thresholds and performance boundaries for the geosynthetic erosion control mattress.
• ShoreFlexmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTesting of ShoreFlex vegetated concrete block erosion control mat. CSU evaluated different backing materials and established hydraulic performance thresholds for the products.
• Hydrau-Tech and WSPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Valenciano Dam physical modeling project in Puerto Rico, funded by FEMA for water supply and flood control. CSU is testing stilling basin design, spillway crest geometry, and operational procedures.
• United States Bureau of ReclamationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination on numerical modeling for Garrison Dam spillway. USBR created a 1:32 sectional model of the spillway crest as part of the comprehensive modeling effort alongside CSU's 1:24 model and ERDC's 1:55 comprehensive model.
• McLaughlin Whitewater Design GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for River Run Whitewater Park testing. CSU partnered to test and refine recreational whitewater features using WaveShapers technology for kayakers and river surfers.
• United States Bureau of ReclamationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on in-stream rock structure hydraulic impact studies using 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D numerical models to study bendway weirs, rock vanes, and similar structures.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ayres Associates: Engineering firm offering hydraulic, riverine, and dam safety modeling services including physical model construction. Comparable services targeting similar government and engineering-firm clients.
• St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (University of Minnesota): University of Minnesota's large-scale hydraulics and water resources research lab with comparable physical modeling capabilities. Most direct US peer in scope and academic mission, competing for federal and engineering-firm hydraulic modeling projects.
• IIHR — Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research (University of Iowa): Long-standing university hydraulics research institute with similar physical and numerical modeling services. Direct competitor for federal dam safety and river mechanics projects, with overlapping faculty expertise.
• Northwest Hydraulic Consultants: Private-sector hydraulic engineering consultancy with physical and numerical modeling services for dams, spillways, and river projects. Closest commercial-services peer and potential private-sector alternative for engineering-firm clients.
• Utah Water Research Laboratory (Utah State University): USU's water and hydraulics research lab offering physical modeling and field services for western US water projects. Comparable academic lab serving similar government and engineering-firm clients.
• Ven Te Chow Hydrosystems Laboratory (University of Illinois): University of Illinois hydraulics and hydrosystems lab with physical modeling and numerical simulation capabilities. Direct academic peer focused on open-channel flow, sediment transport, and hydraulic structures.

Broad incumbents

• HDR Inc. Large engineering firm with significant dam safety, water resources, and hydraulics modeling practices. Competes on engineering-firm-led studies and occasionally engages CSU as a subconsultant.
• USACE Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC): Federal research organization operating multiple hydraulic labs (e.g., for the Garrison Dam 1:55 comprehensive model). In-house provider that both competes with and partners alongside CSU on large federal dam studies.
• AECOM Water Resources: Global engineering firm with extensive dam, spillway, and water infrastructure modeling capabilities. Active CSU partner on projects like Los Vaqueros and Garrison but also a competitor when bringing work in-house.

Others

• Bureau of Reclamation Hydraulics Laboratory: USBR's in-house hydraulic research lab (1:32 Garrison Dam model). Federal in-house provider that collaborates with CSU but represents an alternative capability set for Bureau-funded work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/csu-hydraulics-laboratory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CSU Hydraulics Laboratory